


the night shift

by helios_ (neocitz)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 00:19:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16294724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neocitz/pseuds/helios_
Summary: ‘He needs support.’ Johnny’s heart is thundering in his ears, every second he looks at Jaehyun is a second wasted. Jaehyun doesn’t look angry, looks tired and sad and it makes Johnny feel exposed where he stands.‘I won’t argue that,’ Jaehyun says, ‘but you keep dropping everything, everything, for him. It’s not good for you. You’re always giving, and it’s one of the reasons you’re one of the best people I know. But it’s not fair for you to just give, all the time.’‘Jaehyun…’‘I’m not saying don’t help him. I know you love him too much to ignore him. But don’t give every piece of you over, not if he doesn’t do the same for you.’





	the night shift

**Author's Note:**

> is this me projecting my 'almost done with uni' stress onto taeyong? maybe. 
> 
> this is literally just pure fluff/hc i don't really know? it's sappy as fuck. hopefully you enjoy it
> 
>  
> 
> un-beta'd

Johnny’s debating the necessity of a cup of coffee this late at night when the call comes through. He’s washed the dishes, changed into his sweatpants and turned on an old sitcom that Jaehyun likes to unwind to before heading to bed. All in all, it’s been a good day and he just wants a hot drink to cap it all off.

Then his phone rings and breaks through the canned laughter and stale jokes. Jaehyun doesn’t say anything, but Johnny stands up before he starts passive-aggressively turning the volume up in protest.

‘ _Johnny_.’

Taeyong’s voice cracks hallway through his name.

‘What’s wrong?’ Johnny’s already reaching for his favourite hoodie and keys. ‘Taeyong? Talk to me.’

‘ _Why am I_ doing this _?_ ’ Taeyong’s voice is thin and raspy through the speaker of Johnny’s phone. His words are a mess and a rush, and Johnny knows for a fact that Mark’s at his boyfriend’s for the night. Meaning Taeyong’s alone.  ‘ _Why did I think post-grad was a good idea? Why am I so fucking stupid_?’

‘You’re not stupid.’ There’s no use trying to calm Taeyong over the phone, not when he’s like this and on the edge of tears. ‘Just stay there, I’m on my way.’

‘ _You don’t need—_ ’

‘I do. No studying until I arrive.’

‘ _Thank you_.’ Taeyong’s voice sounds tiny before he hangs up.

Johnny slips his phone into his pocket as he tries to trip his way into his shoes, cursing when they get caught on his heel. He should have everything he needs. Clothes, wallet, phone, he’ll pick up some biscuits or cakes from the supermarket on the way there. They probably won’t be the freshest, but they’ll be sweet and enough to distract Taeyong.

Jaehyun stops him, muting the tv so his voice resonates in the small space of their apartment. ‘You _cannot_ be serious. It’s almost eleven.’

‘He needs support.’ Johnny’s heart is thundering in his ears, every second he looks at Jaehyun is a second wasted. Jaehyun doesn’t look angry, looks tired and sad and it makes Johnny feel exposed where he stands.

‘I won’t argue that,’ Jaehyun says, ‘but you keep dropping everything, _everything_ , for him. It’s not good for you. You’re always giving, and it’s one of the reasons you’re one of the best people I know. But it’s not fair for you to just give, all the time.’

‘Jaehyun…’

‘I’m not saying don’t help him. I know you love him too much to ignore him. But don’t give every piece of you over, not if he doesn’t do the same for you.’

‘He’s my best friend, Jae.’ Johnny’s voice sticks in his throat, because the words are a truth and a lie at the same time. Jaehyun must know that, because he sighs and points towards the door. A silent command to go into the night.

 

 

It’s almost half past eleven by the time Johnny swings into Taeyong and Mark’s assigned car park, figuring they wouldn’t care if he parked there. Taeyong hasn’t tried calling him since Johnny hung up. There’ve been a handful of texts, Johnny’s looked at them in the supermarket and at red lights, all of which are Taeyong bouncing between wanting Johnny there with him and telling Johnny to go home.

Johnny ignores the last few, messages saying that Taeyong’s fine, and grabs the bag of shopping from the passenger seat. It’s not much – cakes, hot chocolate mix and chips in case Taeyong wants something savoury.

‘I told you I was fine,’ Taeyong says, as Johnny opens the door to his house and carries the food into the kitchen. ‘You didn’t have to come.’

Johnny takes in Taeyong.

The hair that’s unstyled and limp around his head, held back with a headband. The jumper that’s oversized and stretched from wear and not from fashion. The dark shadows under his eyes and the pinch in the corner of his lips. It’s a familiar sight, one that rears its ugly head two weeks before the end of semester, _every_ semester.

‘I did.’

Johnny drops the bags down and, even though Taeyong’s probably a little gross, draws Taeyong into his arms for a hug. Taeyong’s stiff, for a good three seconds before something shudders across his body, and the tension bleeds out of him as he rests his forehead against Johnny’s sternum. There are too many layers between himself and Taeyong to be sure, but he thinks the younger man might be crying.

Johnny’s been told, by multiple people, that he’s good at hugs, and he’s excellent at comforting people. So he stands there a little longer, arms wrapped around Taeyong and rocking them back and forth in the kitchen until Taeyong pulls away.

‘Sorry,’ he croaks, and neither of them talk about the fact that Taeyong dabs away at his cheeks as he turns around to run the kettle. ‘It’s been A Day.’

‘Group project?’

Taeyong exhales. ‘Yeah.’  

Johnny and Taeyong met on the first day of their undergraduate. Johnny was happy with his bachelors and worked his way up through his company through internships and flattery, Taeyong had decided to keep studying and get a masters.  

Despite this, he’s not one for university, and Johnny’s known that since about the third hour of meeting Taeyong. Taeyong hates the unrealistic expectations of tertiary based assessment, hates the hours of study that never settle right in his memory and hates the pressure of twelve weeks being the be-all and end-all.

‘Sometimes I think I should just drop out.’

‘You’ve only got three weeks left, and then you’re done,’ Johnny promises, rubbing a hand on Taeyong’s shoulder. Taeyong leans into it, a familiar pattern that they’ve done so many times before. ‘I know it’s stressful now, but in four weeks it won’t even matter.’

Taeyong looks so small where he stands, and Johnny is struck with the fact that this boy is his entire world. This boy who looks defeated and tired, who can make Johnny drop anything to make sure that he’s okay, whose smile is brighter than anything Johnny’s ever seen.

He wants, _needs_ to see that smile.

‘I just want it to be over.’

‘It will be, _soon_.’

‘Thank you, for being here.’ Taeyong twists his sleeves between his fingers, playing with them as he leans against the counter.

‘I’ll always be here for you, you know that.’ Johnny’s voice is frank, and echoes through the room. Everything about them feels different tonight, perhaps the time and solitude leaving them off kilter as they stand there.

‘You have been,’ Taeyong whispers.

There’s something about the way Taeyong looks up at Johnny, the way that all his attention is focused on him that makes Johnny pause where he stands. There’s a moment where Johnny remembers, what Jaehyun said not forty-five minutes before. It’s an open secret among their friends, that Johnny loves Taeyong and gives every part of himself over to Taeyong.

And that Taeyong does not know.

‘You came for me,’ Taeyong continues, ‘even though you’re probably meant to wake up at six thirty tomorrow, _earlier_ if you’re spending the night. You went to the shops and you bought me cake, and hot chocolate, even though they’re almost closed.’

‘I did,’ Johnny’s voice rasps through the silence.

‘You came over here because I needed a hug, because I need someone to talk to before I let this fucking degree engulf me.’

‘I’ve always done that.’

‘But it was different, when you were studying. We could just drink beer and whinge about our courses together. But now it’s different, you could have left all this behind,’ Taeyong gestures to the pages spilling over the dining counter, the textbook and laptop that’s set up, ‘but you still listen and you don’t complain and you’re _so_ nice to me.’

Taeyong stops, his voice dropping to nothing before he swallows and looks up at Johnny.

‘Why are you so nice to me?’

‘You’re my best friend.’

‘So’s Taeil, but you don’t pick up his calls this late.’

Johnny has never been a small man, has always towered over his friends and family. With his stature has come confidence, instilled in him by his parents and encouraged by his peers. Johnny’s not one to shy away and he doesn’t, not when Taeyong’s looking at him through those large eyes.

‘Taeil’s not you.’

It’s the closest he’s ever come to admitting things aloud, and the meaning hangs between them as Taeyong processes the words. He hopes, _knows_ , that this isn’t going to fuck their friendship up because they’ve been through too much for that. But he worries for the night, for the space between them as they stand there.

‘Johnny,’ Taeyong says, honest and raw between them. ‘You are the best thing in my life.’

Taeyong surges forward, too quick for Johnny to react. His hands fly to Taeyong’s hips, steadying him as Taeyong leans up, presses close. Johnny doesn’t believe it, not until it’s already happening.

Their first kiss is messy. It’s Taeyong’s hands scrunching Johnny’s jumper, it’s Johnny backing into the fridge because Taeyong can’t stop pressing closer. It’s bumped noses and adjusting to each other. It’s Taeyong leaning up, but Johnny also needing to lean down. It’s harsh breathing, and the silence between.

It’s desperate, and not at all romantic and Johnny slows it down as best he can. He strokes Taeyong’s side, draws him in a little closer, smiles just that little bit as the storm settles and he draws back.

He draws back, and Taeyong’s pale beneath his skin and his face is heavy with exhaustion. There’s a small smile that lifts at his lips even as shock and surprise darts through his eyes. He looks surprised at himself, but also proud and in that moment, everything has changed.

‘There it is,’ Johnny whispers, quiet in the space between the pair of them even if they’re alone.

‘What?’ Taeyong asks.

Johnny dips down again, brushing his lips over Taeyong’s as he answers. ‘Nothing important.’

_Everything important._

 

 

**Author's Note:**

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